U.S. OK's Saddam law oil deals

[babylonsister]

U.S. OK's Saddam law oil deals
Submitted by davidswanson on Thu, 2007-11-01 03:11. Media

By BEN LANDO, UPI

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department says an oil law implemented under Saddam Hussein is good enough for Iraq’s national government to sign oil deals, though it would prefer a new national law -- mired in controversy and far from approved -- to be used instead.

The new position is a shift for the U.S. government, or at least a nuance in its stance, which has pressed hard for a new hydrocarbons legal regime and condemned deals signed between a regional government and private firms -- especially when it’s an American company.

“We would prefer these laws to be passed before any deals are signed,” Deputy Assistant Secretary for Near Eastern Affairs Lawrence Butler told United Press International. “However, in the absence of passage of the hydrocarbon law, Iraq as a sovereign state can continue to use the Saddam-era laws to manage the sector in the meantime.”

It’s not clear what effect the U.S. stance will have on the international oil industry, salivating at the prospect of entering the third-largest oil reserves in the world, as Iraq’s Oil Ministry says it will not wait forever for a new law before signing deals.

Iraq is underexplored and experts predict the country's reserve totals could be twice as much as the 115 billion barrels that have already been found.

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[LakeSamish706]

1. Oh, how do we steal that oil without having it look like theft! n/t